As Days Flew By
by chocobotails
Summary: "So here we are...4 years later. Angeal's gone, Sephiroth's dead, Nibelheim's destroyed, ShinRa's after us and Cloud's catatonic. Gongaga's the only place we can go."  Alternate Scenario to Crisis Core Ending - Zack Fair x Cloud Strife
1. Prologue

**As Days Flew By**

By  
chocobotails & her partner

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**(Warning: This Fanfiction may contain spoilers of Final Fantasy VII)**

~_Disclaimer: _Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fan fiction is firmly a non-profit piece of literature for the amusement of its audience. ~

**Author's Note:** This fan fiction was written by TWO authors. It's a collaborative piece created by myself and my writing partner (who wishes to remain nameless). I take only the credit for my portion of the work. This is a role-play fan fiction. (Role-play [RP] - the act of "becoming a character" with another partner through literature.) The main character is Zack Fair, played by my partner while I play Cloud Strife. The both of us mainly share all sub-characters.

Also, the **_x x x_** means a time skip. If you understand the Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core game, you should be able to piece the time-skips together.

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_**Prologue**_

_"Angeal!"_

The name was blurted out almost indistinctly. Then the shatter of glass was heard, water following quickly behind. The almost thick, green liquid spread on the floor, shards of glass lined the tube from where the water had broken free. Among the debris laid a young man, most likely in his early to mid-twenties. His body was cloaked in a uniform; much like the one's worn from ShinRa's elite First Class SOLDIERS. His ebony spikes were matted and sodden, though as they began to absorb the air of the room, they started to flair upwards. He seemed to grip at the damp floor, his soaked, leather, black gloves almost making a squeaking sound as they firmly rubbed together when his hand formed a fist. The male groaned, getting to his feet rather warily, his legs feeling weak from not being in use for so long. He clung to the edge of a nearby table, his grip tense as he steadied himself. A profound exhale elapsed his lips before he studied his situation, taking in the scene of experimental tools and tables before him.

He grimaced at their sight, as if they caused a recollection in him that he did not wish to see. Rather leisurely, he let go of the table, continuously remembering to take concentrated breaths as he stood there to calm his shaken nerves. He swirled around on his heel, seeing the destroyed glass cylinder from which he had freed himself. Then his eyes grew wide and he walked to the tube beside it, pressing his hands against the glass. His eyes peered up inside at the individual trapped in the tube, a young fair-haired male floated lifelessly in the sea green fluid.

"Hang on...I'll get you out of there." The black haired man said a bit breathlessly, his fist pounding onto a push button on the controls near the experimental chamber. The green liquid now seemed to seep into an open vent at the base of the cylinder, and the youth's body began to shift in the water. Once the liquid had almost vanished, the door flung open, the tube seeming to discharge the blonde boy's body along with small puffs of smoke. The SOLDIER quickly grabbed the other, holding him in a taut embrace for a moment before setting him down near the experimental slab. "Cloud..." he muttered, crouching down, facing him to study the boy deftly. The man known as Cloud stayed soundless, his body did not stir at the call of his name, and this made the other man shake his head in discontent. He lifted the other's head with nimble fingers, seeing that Cloud's eyes had in fact opened, only to reveal vacant sapphire-bottle green hues. The spiky, black-haired male frowned, muttering abstractedly, "Mako Poisoning..." before standing up gradually.

He sighed thickly, running his hands through his mane as a motion to unwind himself. Then he lifted the flaxen male off the ground and slung the boy's arm around his shoulder. "Were getting out of here Cloud... Are you ready?" The boy's head drooped and the other smiled to some extent, taking that as a 'Yes', he began to march with some difficulty out of the experimental room.

**_x x x_**

"God damn it! I've been through enough Shinra shit! Can't they just leave us alone!" The black-haired male shouted crossly as the Shinra grunts opened fire on him and the still-unresponsive Cloud. The now "Ex-SOLDIER" pulled his sword from his back, glaring at the grunts before him. "Look. I'll give you guys one more chance to back the fuck off!" His cerulean optics narrowed, and his stance grew dangerous and threatening. Some grunts took his word and fled; others stayed their ground and pointed their artillery towards the man. The midnight haired man shook his head before commenting, "You guys...really should have followed them..." His remark was directed straight towards the rest of the grunts, some now, with terror written on their faces. The Ex-SOLDIER raised his sword and charged for the grunts. The next moment was a complete blur.

**_x x x _**

"Okay...half way there now..." The male panted, grinning at his own words. His eyes flashed to the male beside him as he carried him along. "...what do you think of staying at Gongaga...hmm?" Cloud of course, did not answer back, though as he carried the ex-cadet, the pointed-haired man pretended he had. "...Yeah...ma and pa...they'd love to meet you...I'm sure...you'd like 'em too...if you weren't well...sick."

He shrugged his shoulder when Cloud began to slip from his arms, making the blonde's inert body move closer on Zack. "...I'll show you so much there Cloud...You'll love it. Especially the beach... It's great this time of yea-" He paused, halting his steps entirely before looking down contemplatively. "Wait...what time of year is it, anyway? How...long were we in Nibelheim...? It couldn't have been long, right?" He bit the bottom of his lip, his indigo eyes filling with a sudden mystification and apprehension at the reflection. "Right?" He repeated before he shook it off, his fret and uncertainty replaced with a sudden fortitude. "Let's just... keep moving..." He said simply as he began his sluggish march on the hillside between Nibelheim and Gongaga.

**_x x x_**

"Cissnei! Leave us alone." The man said brutally as he stood in front of Cloud. The wavy redhead opposite him had a wearisome expression on her fair face. Cissnei's features seemed flooded with sympathy and hurt. "Is he..."

Her eyes focused on Cloud, the male's eyes also shifting to look behind his shoulder before commenting in a deadly monotone voice, "Mako Poisoning." His words were rigid and clung to the cold-ness in the forest air. She shook her head before pulling out her phone, instantly causing him to become defensive. "What are yo-" His words froze the instant she lifted her hand.

"They're not here, Tseng. I think they traveled near the coast; they are going to head straight to Midgar, skipping over Gongaga. He won't ever think to go there and put his parents in harm's way." There was a long silence and the tension grew in the ex-SOLDIER as he waited for the call to end. Finally, she smiled and answered, "Yes. I'm sure of it. Zack has a girlfriend in Midgar he would want to see. Not only that... but he'd probably want to give you guys at ShinRa a piece of his mind." She laughed flippantly, her eyes instantly averting to the man before her, who seemed dumb-founded at that very moment. Hearing another chuckle off the other end of the phone, she closed it gingerly, turning to face the man still holding a sword to her.

"Why...?" The male lowered his weapon, his lips unable to find words to respond to what he had just saw. Before he could think of anything, she spoke, her words mellifluous and affable, "Because... at one time or another... we were friends, Zack and even if it's my job to take you in..." She paused for a moment of thought before continuing. "...it's also the job of a friend to watch out for each other... Seems like a better job." She smiled before stepping back a little. "Go to Gongaga Zack... and don't you ever think of stepping foot in Midgar... Or, at least...until this all blows over."

The man named Zack before her now put his sword onto his back, lowering his armed-alert finally. "Cissnei..." He mumbled in a grateful voice. She gave a saddened look, almost as if she was going to cry. Then, rather surprisingly to Zack, she tossed a set of keys his way.

"Take it." She pointed in the direction of a rather shiny new ShinRa motorcycle with; fortunately, a second person compartment. Zack looked down at the keys in his hand sentimentally before his eyes rose to her, and he gave her one of his authentic smiles. She looked at him, tears clinging to her cheeks. "Go now!" she demanded, watching Zack give a dutiful nod before he picked Cloud up and ran towards the bike.

It was only seconds later she heard the thunderous roar of the engine as the bike came to life. Then she watched, with heartrending eyes as the vision of Zack Fair faded into the distance. "Goodbye Zack... may we never see each other again."

**_x x x_**

The bike slid to a stop easily on the dirt road, sending small rocks and an entire dust cloud in the air. The engine died and the ex-SOLDIER got off noiselessly, his eyes at once peering into the settlement ahead.

There it was, his modest hometown of Gongaga.

It was almost the same way he had left it, though he could effortlessly tell there were additional buildings added in the township, and in all probability new townsfolk as well.

Zack looked over at Cloud sitting in the add-on seat of the motorbike. "What do you think, Cloud? This is gonna be our new home from now on. You and me together, how does that sound?" He strolled over to where Cloud was sitting, crouching down to give him a doggish smile. "You'll like it, Cloudy. I just know you will." His voice seemed keyed up now, the obligation and troubles all falling off his shoulders.

Zack stood, bending over Cloud before delicately picking him up bridal-style in his arms. He then gently set Cloud onto the ground, holding up his index finger for a moment. "Hold on a sec." The raven haired man now ran to the handlebars of the motorcycle, pushing on them at full-force. Surprisingly, the bike began to move. It shocked Zack, considering how arduously heavy the bike looked. He could not help but speculate now: What exactly did Shinra do to him other than mako exposure? Seemed like there had to be more to it than that, at least to him.

Finally, he reached a patch of foliage, shoving the motorcycle into the nadir of it, hiding any perceptible spots from scrutiny using the brushwood and vegetation around him. After a couple minutes, he stood back; slapping his leather-gloved hands mutually before smiling proudly, as if he was admiring his toil. He trotted back over to Cloud, picking the fair-haired young man up with no difficulty, sliding him with care over his shoulder. "Okay Cloud, I hope my parents won't freak out too much when they see us." Zack then carried on, holding Cloud delicately on his shoulder as he crossed the threshold of the village he once called home.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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**Authors Note: **A small Prologue I know, I worked on it really fast so I could get my partner involved in the story quicker. Just wanted to sum up main points, I'll begin posting chapters soon, got alot of proofreading and corrections to do.


	2. Home Again

**(Warning: This Fanfiction may contain spoilers of Final Fantasy VII)**

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~Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fan fiction is firmly a non-profit piece of literature for the amusement of its audience. ~

**Author's Note: **As I mentioned in the Prolouge, this Fanfiction was written by two people, this is the first chapter we wrote together, so we really hope you like it. :)

Because Cloud is unable to respond, I play Zack's mother and father. (and partially Cloud later on) My partner wrote all of Zack's parts.

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**__**

-Chapter 1-

  
**_Home Again  
_******

xxx

It was a good ten to fifteen minute march from where Zack had concealed the motorbike. The town was soundless as he walked through it, but that was to be expected.

There was no way of telling the time for Zack, his mobile phone had been confiscated some time ago in the labs, and he did not own a timepiece. Nevertheless, judging from the skies, he guessed it was close to four in the morning. He just hoped his parents would get up for them. Seeing everything again, almost completely as he had left it, gave Zack a first-class feeling. The place still felt so backwater, which was a good thing to him. Old-fashioned places seemed paramount to Zack, especially after his evenhanded share of ShinRa. In that sense, it was pleasant having some things stay unchanged. If only things could always be that way...The world would have been a little easier on both him and Cloud.

The Soldier's thoughts vanished when his optics settled on a well-known site, and much like the settlement, it had not changed much at all. A minute, pleased beam found its way on Zack's face as he approached the modest house he had grown up in. "Well, here it is, Cloud... home sweet home." he said cordially, glancing to his companion. He allowed himself to take in the sentiment of essentially being home before he rang the doorbell, following it with a small number of knocks. "They'll be so shocked, Chocobo, seeing us like this..." He knew the emotion would die off soon enough though. The anticipation was bound to win it over.

The shrill of the doorbell alerted the old folks in the residence, making one rise at once from her bed, the other grumbling something incoherent and pulling the covers up and over his head. "Travis, get up! The doorbell rang! Why would it be ringin' at a time like this!" The woman who had quickly gotten up now had her attention on the bulge in bed, telling it this in a thick country enunciation. Her effervescent azure optics averted from him after hearing his lethargic, inaudible reply. She gave a defeated sigh, combing her fingers through her untamed and rather flared black mane. Now she pulled on her ice-blue robe, tying it securely before heading towards the door in a cautious method.

She flipped on a light switch, instantly making the front porch of the residence light up. Zack's heart rate picked up a little when the light turned on above him and Cloud. He knew someone was definitely up now and right before them, no less. He adjusted the way he was holding his buddy, sliding him off his shoulder and making it so he was holding him in his arms again as he waited. "You excited, Cloud?" Zack sure was...A tad uneasy, too. This was something that should have happened long ago...Reuniting with his family like this. Hopefully his folks would not hold it against him though.

The woman's hues went to the petite knothole in the door. "Who could be comin' at this tim-" Her voice halted, her eyes growing immeasurably wide before she practically ripped the door open, giving a frenzied look outside at the man before her. Her aqua eyes were filled with astonishment.

Zack now smiled when he saw the very flabbergasted Mrs. Fair before him. She looked so...beautiful. Like she had not changed at all over those years Zack had been with ShinRa. Well, aside from her tresses being a little longer, that is. Other than that...she was unerringly the same, even her bathrobe had not been replaced in his absence. The raven-haired male was usually a rather emotional person, so the glossy eyes he was now sporting could not be helped. Actually seeing her again brought on many feelings.

As for her, she stood there, slightly trembling now, and for a long while stayed soundless, her mouth somewhat opened with the incredulity she was receiving from what was before her. Then, it seemed to fade away all at once and was replaced by a motherly affection, though her voice still sounded as taken aback as ever, "Z-Zack? Is...that you hun?"

Zack gave a dismayed look, replying in a brittle tone, "Yeah...it's me, Ma. Sorry...I took so long to visit." If he were not holding Cloud, he would already be hugging her.

She stood there for a moment, taking in that rather proverbial yet...foreign tone of voice that now came from him. For a short time, a spark came to her in her mind of her little youthful Zack, and his adorable voice when he was young, but then there was also a feeling of it being dissimilar. His voice was much deeper now, though it still contained that childlike pitch at the same time. It was odd...seeing him now. He had left this home a boy and now...was a man. Her eyes began to water, they squinted upon the new moisture gracing them, and she took on a tone that was harmonious, tender, and the voice of that of a full-fledged mother. "Oh Zack!" She ignored the fact the blonde-haired person was still in her son's arms, coming to him and giving him a passionate embrace near the neck, shifting so Cloud was not completely trapped between them when she realized he was there.

Zack was left stunned by his mother's enfolding assault and he simply stood there, smiling sincerely. He was pleased she hugged him since he had been wanting to, but troubled by the fact he could not hug her back with Cloud still in his arms. Her squeeze lingered and became gradually lax after a period of time before she pulled away rather unwillingly. She wiped at her tears, trying to rid herself of them and the emotional eruption she just had. She straightened her posture, giving a now more composed look now. Then it hit Zack, he had to introduce her to Cloud! "Cloud... this is my mom. Ma...this is my best friend, Cloud." He smiled again, looking down to Cloud for a few moments before returning his gaze to Mrs. Fair.

Her eyes flashed to the blonde boy giving him and then her son a puzzled look before she pressed her hand to the blonde's forehead, shifting his bangs upward and then bowing herself to some extent to look at him judiciously in the eyes, "You poor thing...is he sick?" Her optics looked up at her son now.

Zack nodded gravely, giving something along the lines of a glower. "Yeah…he…he's just a little sick…" Would telling her he was contaminated with mako addiction be such a good idea?

Mrs. Fair nodded, growing a bit more apprehensive at this new piece of information. She pulled away from the young man, before hastily commenting, "Come in, come in!" She ushered with her hands inside, standing aside near the door so Zack could pass through. He thanked her delicately, indebted to her invitation, stepping into the memorable house with a somewhat heavy heart. His mother was not too far behind him when Zack entered, though at the doorframe's edge, she paused for a moment, her eyes scanning the outdoors around her home suspiciously as if she felt something was suddenly going to leap up and try to steal her son away.

After her moment of paranoia faded, she entered, closing the door evenly and locking it up almost straight away.

"Its really nice being home again. Kind of weird though…I feel on edge." Zack firmly believed in things being too good to be true now. He had ShinRa to thank for that. "Where's Pops? Still sleeping?"

Her eyes shifted to her son when he questioned her, giving a quick nod of her head before shouting, "TRAVIS! GET UP! We've gotta visitor you're REALLY gonna wanna see Dear!" She growled imperceptibly at the sound of the retort, a thunderous provoked groan coming from the master bedroom.

The yell caused Zack to wince a little; he had forgotten what strong vocal cords his mom had. It was surprising Cloud had not woken from his catatonic-state because of it, actually. The raven-haired man looked down to Cloud now. "Think I can lay him on my bed, Ma? He could probably use a little rest. I've been making him travel with me almost nonstop since Nibelheim."

She pressed a hand to Zack's arm and squeezed it nonchalantly. "Of course dear, left your bedroom the same way you left it. Though your pa' insisted we had to clean out your dresser at least, think he wanted to make some more space for his own clothes to be in. I managed to save a few, though..." She paused, looking up and down her son's frame in an inquisitive manner. "...they might not fit you." Her eyes moved to the blonde before smiling and pointing at him, "Though for him, maybe? It'd be mighty kind of you if you shared. Those SOLDIER outfits don't look comfy." Her optics glanced at the master bedroom before a mischievous grin lit her features, "You can take your pa's clothes. After all, there in YOUR dresser hun."

It was nice to know that his mom had kept things the same. The knowledge made him feel a little better. "Thanks mom, I'll be back in a couple minutes." He carried Cloud the rest of the way to his room, taking a little breath before he switched a light on, having to balance Cloud in one arm for a moment to pull it off. Zack sighed, feeling his chest fill with tenderness as he took in the recognizable diminutive space. His mom was right; she had kept it the same. Not one thing seemed to be missing or out of place. Then when he stepped in a little further, he noticed there was hardly any dust around, either. It was as if he had not left it at all. "Really nice to be back in here again. Lots of good memories."

Well, there were a few bad moments, but the good ones managed to outweigh those. His azure eyes scanned the room before he walked over to his bed, carefully placing his companion on it. "There we go, Cloud. Now we'll just get all this leather and armor off ya." Cloud was leaned forward a bit so Zack would have easier access to his back, where some of the belts snapped off. As anomalous as it seemed, Cloud could hear the distant voice of Zack echoing in his head. Cloud called out to Zack in his mind, yelling with full force. However, in reality, all that seemed to seep out of Cloud's rose lips was a minute vague and barely audible mumble as Zack began to rid his body of the heavy weighing shoulder armor and harness.

Within a few moments the shoulder armor was removed along with all the belts around his waist, he then started working on getting his boots and gloves off. "Bet you're feeling better already...That equipment's pretty heavy." Cloud could hear Zack and could feel the tiny movements of his hands as he took off each accessory he wore. Before long, Cloud was just wearing the 1st's turtleneck and pants, along with his socks.

"There you go, Chocobo, all set." Zack gave him an affectionate modest smile and ruffled his locks a bit before standing to his full-height again. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Get some rest while I catch up with my folks a little." He left the light on, figuring it was not a good idea to have him in the dark by himself. Even if he was not really all there now, Zack knew he was listening and understood him and more importantly knew when Zack was near him or not.

When Zack left Cloud in the isolation of the room, everything seemed to go shadowy, even if there was a light on, everything Cloud had felt and heard seemed like it was only a dream now...

He heaved a sigh as he headed back into the living room again. It was arduous not dwelling on Cloud's condition sometimes...Only time would tell if he would snap out of it or not, and that thought was somewhat comforting.

Zack's mother was now standing in the living room, clinging against Zack's father, Travis, a man of about forty years or so with an unshaven jaw and brown-ish black hair that was cropped short, though now, was flaring wildly from a bad case of bed-head.

He rubbed at his eyelids, trying to banish the sleep that had claimed them and grumbled at Zack's mother, "Oerba, why'd you wake me up? Where's this visitor? I got work tomorrow...I need as much sleep as pos-" He stopped when her finger pressed over his lips, watching her fierce aqua eyes narrow at him.

"This is WAY more important than gettin' sleep or your job!" He seemed frozen where he stood before he gave a solemn nod at her words, taking that direct and firm voice of her's absolutely serious.

Oerba's eyes drew instantly to the direction of Zack's bedroom when she heard the door close and watched as Zack silently trudged in, giving her husband a motivation nudge in the side of his arm. "See hun? Told yah' this visitor was way more important." She gave him a kind smile before flashing it towards Zack as well. As for Travis, he stood there, flabbergasted at the fact his "long lost" son was now standing before him. His eyes became unbalanced in narrowed confusion as he scanned the male over. He was...taller for one, and much tanner than he could remember. For that second, Travis could swear this wasn't his son at all, though, taking a closer look now, he noticed that unmistakable clear ocean blue color in Zack's eyes, the same color as Oerba's, though maybe now an unusual jade glow accompanied it.

Once again, Zack found himself becoming a little uneasy. He got through reuniting with his mom, but now it was his dad's turn. The paranoia was back again, all the "what if's" popping into his head as he found himself standing in the living room. His eyes gradually rose up, sheepishly meeting his father's, which appeared to be stunned beyond all belief. Obviously, that reaction could not be helped. He took a shaky breath as his hands started fiddling with the leather-material of his gloves. "H-hey Pops, been a while..." His voice sounded a little unstable, which it was. It was both his nerves and emotions going to work again.

Oerba took notice of this nervous behavior, frowning a bit from it. Zack did not need to be nervous, especially not in front of his parents. No matter how long he was gone, they would always love him and see him as their perfect child. True, Oerba couldn't hide her dissatisfaction at the fact Zack hadn't contacted them in almost nine years, but this didn't make her love Zack any less at all. In fact, her love had probably grown while Zack was gone, and now that he was here at home once more, she intended to show that motherly affection to her 'not-so-little-anymore' boy.

Unfortunately, Zack could not read his mother's thoughts, maybe he would have had an easier time with this reunion otherwise. Nevertheless, as it was, he was starting to grow extremely anxious. When he felt the wise eyes of his father looking over him, he wondered what they were seeing. Was it something that would make him feel rejoice or shame? He really hoped it was the first one, but he feared it was the latter. Maybe coming to Gongaga was not the best idea after all...Even so, Zack could not help but want his father's approval. He joined ShinRa to make him proud and to become a hero, but...he felt like he had not accomplished that, if anything, by going. For Zack, it was harder seeing his dad again, just because he felt like he had really let him down, returning empty-handed like he had. This silence was killing him though...

Finally, Oerba glanced up at her husband, noticing his detached conduct before nudging him harder now, in the rib cage. His eyes met hers, watching as they glanced from him over to Zack, her head bobbing in their son's direction swiftly. Travis smiled, lips parting to make an unspoken, "I know" in response to her gaze. He stepped forward, rather cautiously, barely catching that somnolent and tense look on Zack's face, before his burly arms befell his son, encasing him in a typical fatherly bear hug. To be honest, Zack was just about to apologize, too, but the embrace stopped him, along with anything else he had to say. Any feelings or hints of rejection vanished from the sudden affection, a relieved smile gracing his features as he hugged his father back just as stalwartly.

Both of them seemed to get lost in the hold, it having lasted for a long time. However, Mr. Fair wound up pulling away first, dropping a hand on top Zack's shoulder and giving him a rather intense, doggish grin much like Zack's own. "...been awhile indeed my boy! You've...grown so much! Gotta admit, I'm surprised to see you SOLDIER types up here in no-man's land," his father said, a thick chuckle following.

Zack was still smiling at the man, his eyes somewhat on the teary-side as he moved to stand up straight again. "I know...I'm sorry it's been so long. I...hadn't expected to be away for so many years." He really hadn't, nor had he expected the strict "no-family" policy ShinRa laid out for them. What fourteen year old would have?

Travis' lips pressed firmly together into a smooth and doting smile after his son's apology, feeling he should say something that would help Zack's conscience. "It's not your fault. We've...just really missed you, son."

Oerba watched from behind with fairly watery-eyes before adding in with a quick murmur, "So very much." She wiped at her eyes before trotting over to the two main men in her life.

His parents' announcement had Zack grinning at them, even if he felt a little bashful from the sentimental confessions. "I missed both of you too. More than you'll ever know." He gave his father a little rub on the back as he turned to his mom, reaching to place a hand on her back as well. It seemed like only a moment after Zack's comforting touch that the two adults hovered over their child and had a warm family embrace. It lasted long, much like the hug between Travis and Zack, the strong feelings of being a family once more making the two parents' inwardly giddy. Although Travis never looked it, he was kind-hearted and overly loving. He was a compassionate man who enjoyed these moments and loved his family to the highest degree. Oerba; on the other hand, came off as the authoritarian, a resilient and protective mother with the sweet spot for both her cherished males. The hug was something Zack had really needed then. If he had any doubts left about his parents' feelings towards him, this embrace certainly banished them. It had been a while since the SOLDIER felt so loved. Little did he know just how long it really had been. He still had quite a bit of catching-up to do, like how much time he had spent in that lab under Hojo's control. That would not be a pleasant thing for him to learn. The raven-haired male had no idea he was now 23 years old and just how much of his life had been wasted by ShinRa's hands. Luckily, none of those thoughts were clouding his mind, at least not yet.

Once the moment passed, the two parent's parted from their embrace. There was a smile on Oerba's face as she patted her son a couple times on the arm and suggested, "How about we get caught up in the morning, hmm? Zack honey, you look dead-tired. And so do you," she said lovingly, her eyes shifting to her spouse.

Zack could agree to that observation, actually feeling 'dead-tired' in all honesty. "You're right, I'm pretty sleepy. I had to stand guard while Cloud rested up. So...I haven't slept at all, really. We'll have a good talk tomorrow." He had not eaten much either, but he figured he could definitely wait until the morning, especially if Cloud had to as well. Besides, bed was sounding really good right now.

Zack's father gave him a rather gloomy smile, wanting to give his boy another bear hug before bed though he held the urge back, instead focusing on his wife when she spoke once more. "Alright dear, you go ahead and rest, I'm sure you must be exhausted. Do you want us to set up a place for Cloud, or are you fine with him in your room?"

Zack shook his head in response to his mother's words, "No, we'll be fine. Cloud...doesn't like being alone. He likes me near him." That went vice-versa for Zack as well. Ever since they escaped, Cloud had practically been joined at the hip with him. The black-haired male just did not feel comfortable leaving him, only when he absolutely had to in order to fight off any threats. Even when they stopped to take a breather, Zack had settled down close to Cloud, keeping him safe in his arms and ready to protect him at the drop of a hat. Being home would not change that; he would keep taking care of him, no matter what. It was the least he could do...

A yawn suddenly escaped from Mr. Fair before he moved to kiss Oerba on the forehead tenderly, squeezing Zack's shoulder afterwards. "I'm off to bed. I look forward to catching up, my boy." He gave Zack a pat and then a quick smile before his drowsy-state took hold of him and he began to walk with slightly slumped shoulders towards the master bedroom.

Zack had smiled at the friendly touch, watching the man leave the room. "Night Pops," he called, his gaze turning back to Mrs. Fair after a moment, catching a genuine smile on her lips. "What?" he asked, grinning a bit from the look.

"We'll talk tomorrow." Her words seemed final, so Zack of course agreed to them with a small nod. Not that he would have said 'no' anyway... "We will ma, I promise." Zack moved to give his mom another hug before taking a couple steps back. "Thanks again. See you in the morning, alright?" He offered another heartfelt smile before giving her a little wave and heading back to his room, Mrs. Fair doing the same.

Those few minutes had done wonders for Zack, he felt a lot better now. So many burdens were lifted from his shoulders just from being with his parents again. It was a pleasant feeling and a very welcomed change for him. With a light-hearted sigh, the young man opened his door again. There was Cloud, just as he had left him. His body was lying motionlessly on the sheets of the bed, his vacant sapphire hues staring up at the white walls of the ceiling. The blonde's expression, his body, almost everything seemed still. His chest was the only thing that seemed to move, rhythmically up and down as he breathed. Aside from that, there was nothing. Zack had secretly hoped he would have changed, at least a little, while he was gone. However, he knew his recovery would take some time. He would just have to be patient.

Honestly, Cloud had no thoughts, no feelings, not a thing until that familiar tone of Zack's returned in the room and sent a shock into his head that seemed to turn Cloud's senses back on. "Miss me Cloud?" The older male smiled a little as he crossed the room, doing his playful hair ruffling again as he reached the other. He pulled away to start taking off all his equipment, removing them in the same fashion he removed Cloud's. Cloud's body felt incredibly stiff, as if he was strapped down to the bed and there was nothing he could do to move himself. For an instant, Cloud was there though, in that room, listening to his dark-haired friend's words. He wanted to smile; he wanted to say, "Yes! I missed you!" though nothing came. Instead, he could only lie there, completely motionless, the only thing his body allowed him to do was listen to the words spilling from Zack's mouth so fluently.

"I talked to Ma and Pops for a while. Got a lot of things off my chest. They really missed me, Chocobo. Hope they realize how much I did too, though." He got the belts off, then unzipped his boots and stepped out of them, pulling off the gloves as well. "Its... really nice being home. And don't worry; they're going to love you." His eyes settled on the blonde for a moment, as if waiting for a reply. Cloud strained under the gaze, lips parting only to release a mumble. The little sound was enough for him, apparently, because Zack had continued on with his words. He even nodded to Cloud, as if he understood. "Yup...Gongaga is backwater, so you'll fit right in." A grin rose on his lips at the little joke. "Hey, I'm a country boy too, no need to get offended."

_'Backwater?' 'Country boy?'_ These words flashed into Cloud's mind, making a faint and faded image of a young Zack Fair appear in his mind.

**xxx**

_"Well... I'm a country boy too."_  
_"From where?"_  
_"Nibelheim..." _  
_Zack's chuckles erupted loudly, making Cloud feel insecure about revealing this information._  
_"What about you?"_  
_"Me? Gongaga!"_

**xxx**

The image faded away, making Cloud subconsciously reach out for it as if to pull it back. However, back in reality, the only thing that now moved was Cloud's fingers. They twitched and very weakly tried to gripping at the bed sheet, though the attempt failed only a second later. Zack was still undressing when Cloud's memory had ended. Now he was un-tucking his shirt before he tugged it off, then his pants were unbuttoned and slipped out of as well. "Well Chocobo, I'm beat...You'll sleep easier with me around, right?" The light was switched off, but the darkness hardly affected Zack's vision at all, though it caused the blonde's eyes to flicker unconscientiously.

The SOLDIER moved back to the bed again, pulling the covers from beneath Cloud and lifting them up to slide in beside the other, letting it settle on top of them. After a few moments of looking over his comrade in the soundless room, his arm draped over his waist, wanting both him and Cloud to feel a little more secure. Holding him always seemed to do the trick; no one could harm his friend that way. Zack thought so, anyway.

Cloud had felt the embrace around his waist and he played this over in his mind a few times, this wasn't unfamilar... Zack had done this before...hadn't he? Perhaps when Zack had dragged his dead-weight of a friend to Gongaga, he had embraced Cloud before... The blonde was too disoriented to recall this at all however. His brow furrowed as he tried to respond before he let it go, giving up trying to force his body to do something, it clearly was not going to do.

Azure eyes had been watching over Cloud's features intently, seeing how they seemed to struggle to respond. It was a heartbreaking sight, but it was also a constructive one. That meant Cloud was definitely trying to beat this and Zack _knew_ that he could. It was just a matter of time before he snapped out of it and the mako left his system. Well...some of it, at least. The portion of it that was causing him to be catatonic.

Cloud may not have been able to hug back, but he managed to move his blonde head forward, pressing it lightly against Zack's shoulder, which had astounded the other quite a bit. Cloud could only hope Zack would take this as a positive response to the embrace. As Cloud grew comfortable, a warm feeling of safety overcame him and he allowed his catatonic hues to drift slowly but surely shut and embraced the darkness of the plague he had been suffering with since they had escaped.

The raven-haired male was still bowled over about the movement Cloud had made, looking to his sleeping form in astonishment. The most he had seen him do since they had broken out were small twitches from his hands and face. This was definitely a good sign. Zack smiled softly, rubbing Cloud's back as he said, "Hang in there, Chocobo. We'll get through this." His smile stayed on his lips as he closed his eyes, feeling the safest he had felt for years as sleep took over him. Tomorrow would be better, and just maybe...Cloud would be too?

* * *

**Author's Note: **So there's a glimpse of Zack's affection towards Cloud. (lol) My partner and I would like you to know that this is only a friendly almost "brotherly" act, Zack has no feelings towards Cloud intimately. (But he will, we promise.)

Hope you liked this Chapter! We'll bring you more later, my partner's gone for awhile though, so our next chapter might take awhile longer to get out. Sorry everyone!


	3. Update

Hello readers! chocobotails here to bring you a sad update. I know I haven't posted a new chapter…and I'm **really **sorry about that. My partner was supposed to come back and help me with corrections and formatting on our next chapter but it turns out they are going to be gone until January. So I know this is really unfair to some of you who probably are eager to see what happens next, and I just want you to know that I'm really sorry but our next chapter might be in January. I'll try to do some of the formatting myself but school and life in general restricts my time on the computer lately…also, it really takes two people to format it well, its ALOT of corrections and whatnot to do and I'm usually the one asking my partner to re-read it all because I'm afraid I made mistakes, haha. If I'm able to get it all done on my own, the next chapter might come out in December! So here's hoping that I'm able to do it guys, and thank you all for subscribing and reading, I love getting all your feedback and really appreciate that you like the story! Thank you so much guys! :)


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